


is that an iron man sticker?

by youngowl



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: At least I try, Background Posie, Brief Originals Mention, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Friendship, Handon, Humor, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, One Shot, Slight swearing, can we get more friendship interactions between everyone please and thank you, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24286147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngowl/pseuds/youngowl
Summary: Set during 1x05 MalivoreThe Honor Council will be making a decision on Landon the day after the election. Something happens to delay it, leading to the gang learning a little more about their resident human.(before they figure out what Landon is in 1x13)small trigger warning for description of panic attack and anxiety
Relationships: Landon Kirby & Hope Mikaelson, Landon Kirby & Rafael Waithe, Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson
Comments: 16
Kudos: 47





	is that an iron man sticker?

Beeping. 

Why does he hear beeping? He doesn’t own an alarm clock.

His eyelids felt heavy as he opened them, feeling as if he just woke from a coma. He slapped the alarm off, noting the time. 

Nine in the morning? Usually his foster mom would have woken him up at this time to make breakfast. Are they letting him sleep in? 

Shrugging it off and still half asleep, he decided to take advantage of it. He burrowed into his blanket, (which was an actual comforter, he realized in the back of his mind- not the small, thin one that he had grown used to), and let himself go back to his dreams.

* * *

  
  


They sat in the classroom in silence, avoiding eye contact and finding things to fiddle with so their hands stayed busy. 

Kaleb made a paper football, and after failing to convince any of them to play with him, he scoffed and started refolding it in different shapes on the table. 

Josie was simply looking at her nails, debating what her vote should be in her head. Her heart already knew what she wanted to do, she was just trying to rationalize her decision and work around her guilt.

Emma stayed professional for the first few minutes, before her phone pinged with a message. A small smile crossed her lips before she tried to hide it, though the teenagers weren’t fooled. They shared a knowing look. At Kaleb’s curiosity, the psychologist simply replied “Just business as usual. Nothing interesting.” None of them believed her when she continued texting, clear happiness in her eyes at whatever conversation she was having.

Hope was the only one who stayed still. Her posture portrayed her as calm, confident, and maybe even a little bored. Her mind, on the other hand, was wracked with guilt, messy with feelings she refused to acknowledge. 

She looked at the clock. Ten minutes has passed.

Kaleb groaned. “C’mon, this is mad awkward. Can’t we just hold the meeting? We all know that Raf will want Landon to stay.” 

“Everyone needs to be in attendance so that they can present their argument, Kaleb.” Emma pursed her lips at the time. “Though this is unusual. Rafael doesn’t usually arrive late to class, and he wouldn’t want to miss this meeting. Hope, would you mind going to his dorm and checking in? Maybe he overslept.”

“Beating up Jed would be exhausting,” Josie murmured under her breath.

Internally grateful at having something to do than stir in her own thoughts, Hope nodded at Emma and left the room quickly. She made her way through the empty hallways, passing by the occasional student with no greeting. She did wave at MG in the cafeteria, chuckling at Lizzie’s bored expression. It seemed without her sister or Rafael to cling onto, the Saltzman twin was stuck listening to one of MG’s rants about superheroes.

She got to the boys’ dorms, quickly finding the one belonging to Landon and Rafael. Knocking, she called out, “Hey Raf, you in there? The meeting started a while ago.” 

She jiggled the knob, not expecting to find it open. Taking a closer look, she noticed that the lock had some scratch marks around it, a clear sign that it was tampered with. 

Preparing herself for the worse, she slowly opened the door, scanning the room to see if anything was off. Everything looked normal, so far. It didn’t look like any fights broke out, the windows were closed shut, and the bunched up blankets acknowledged that both boys were sleeping in. 

Hope made her way to Landon’s bed, not being able to help herself. She paused when she saw a small hand peeking out from the covers. Slowly, she pulled the blanket down, and she gasped at what she saw.

A small boy was laying there peacefully, his mouth open with a little drool in the corner. He had pale skin, with curly dark hair. He was wearing a t-shirt that seemed way too big for his size.

Hope stood in shock for a second, her mind automatically recognizing the similarities to a certain someone. She strode over to Rafael’s bed, confirming her suspicions and seeing another young boy, also wearing an oversized t-shirt.

She called Dr. Saltzman. “I think we have another monster.”

While explaining the situation and her current theory, she didn’t notice one of the boys stirring. She hung up, going to call Emma, but she stopped when she saw the curly haired boy sitting up with a yawn. 

“Hey,” she said in a soft tone. She kneeled by his side and asked, “What’s your name?”

The boy blinked, taking in the room. He looked at Hope, and her heart skipped at his wide green eyes. Familiar green eyes. 

“Where ‘m I? Who are you?” he asked.

“My name is Hope. I’ll explain the other part later, okay?”

He nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. His expression looked awestruck as he stared at her. He realized his mouth was open, and he quickly wiped off the drool with the back of his hand, embarrassed.

Hope smiled. “What’s your name?”

She tried to keep the smile on her face when he responded, as to not worry him. In her head, she felt uncertainty, along with a million questions, flooding her mind. 

“Landon.”

* * *

Landon was confused. And scared, but the fear quickly went away when the girl held his hand, noticing his stress.

Hope was her name. Hope was kind. She spoke softly and treated him with kindness, unlike the teenage girls he’s lived with previously. She hasn’t insulted him, and she didn’t yell at him when he took a long time to change into different clothes. (She said they borrowed smaller clothes for him and the other boy, from a student named Pedro.)

Hope was also really pretty.

He felt his face flush when she held his hand. The other boy, Rafael, looked at their joined hands with an expression Landon couldn’t figure out. Hope rolled her eyes with a smile and held his hand, as well. 

They were sitting in what looked like a principal’s office. Landon has gotten sent to one a good number of times, usually for his mysterious bruises that he shrugs off as accidents. 

The principal, Dr. Saltzman, was just looking at the boys, his eyes darting between them. He was sitting in his chair, an old, dusty book on his desk in front of him. 

Landon knows that Rafael doesn’t trust the man. He kept looking at the principal with narrowed eyes, as if daring him to say something.

(Landon wasn’t good at sports, but he was good with people. That’s how he’s survived so far, knowing how people will react, knowing the right words to say. Doesn’t always work, but he’ll accept giving away his lunch money over taking a punch.)

“Anything?” Hope asked.

“You sure they don’t remember anything?”

“Yeah. The last thing they both remember is being in a foster home.”

Dr. Saltzman shook his head. “The only mythical creature referenced to be able to manipulate time is Chronos, the greek personification of time, itself. Also reimagined as Yama in Hinduism, the god of time and death.”

“So you’re saying we’re dealing with a god?”

“I’m saying there’s not a lot of mythology that portrays someone who can make someone else go back in time.” 

Landon perked up. “Like the Flash!” He exclaimed without thinking. Their heads turned to him, and he shrunk back. He looked down and muttered, “Sorry. I didn’t get permission to talk.”

With his head down, he couldn’t see their reaction to his words. Rafael tensed and immediately glared at Dr. Saltzman for making the boy feel that way. The man’s mouth fell open, to which he closed and cleared his throat, not knowing what to say. Hope felt her breath catch, and she turned to the boy, who looked like he was on the verge of tears.

“Hey, Landon, it’s okay. You don’t need to ask for permission when you want to say something.”

Landon looked up, not fully believing the words, but feeling comforted by the girl. “Okay.”

The door burst open, and everyone stood up. Hope unconsciously stepped in front of the boys, pushing them behind her.

“Daddy, why aren’t you answering your phone? I need money to go stress shopping.”

“Sorry, dad. Lizzie, I told you he was busy.”

Lizzie held up a hand at her sister. “Like how you were busy, last night? I told you, Josie. I know it’s not your fault you won the election, but I just need some space.”

Dr. Saltzman sighed. “Now is not the time, Elizabeth.” 

Lizzie scrunched her face at the use of her full name. Her eyes passed Hope, focusing on the kids behind her. 

Josie visibly lightened up at the cute faces. “Why didn’t you tell us we had new students? We can give them a tour, if you want.”

“They’re not exactly new students,” Hope said. 

Landon watched as they explained the situation, which somehow turned into an argument between Lizzie and Hope. 

The loud voices made his breath quicken, and he covered his ears with his hands. He felt a tap on his shoulder, turning to see Rafael with a finger on his mouth in a shushing motion, telling him to stay silent. Rafael tugged on Landon’s shirt, leading him out of the room quietly as the voices got louder behind them.

* * *

The boys walked through the halls, hiding from anyone who came in their path. They found themselves in the cafeteria, their mouths watering at the pancakes, waffles, and the general overabundance of food that they weren’t used to having. 

Now seated with their plates overloaded with unhealthy goodness, Rafael turned to the smaller boy next to him.

“You don’t like yelling.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.

Landon nodded, a piece of bacon hanging out of his mouth.

“I don’t like yelling, too.” Rafael put his hand on Landon’s shoulder. “I’ll protect you. If something bad happens.”

Landon looked skeptical, but he felt warmth at Rafael’s offer. Besides, it looked like he was the only other person who had no idea what was going on. “Thank you.”

They continued digging into their food, occasionally making a comment about how good it was, as well as telling each other about themselves. Landon learned that Rafael lost his parents around a year ago, and with no other living relatives, he was put in the foster system. He was also one year older than Landon.

Landon, in turn, told Rafael about how he’s been in the system for his whole life. The longest he’s stayed at one home was about two years, before the dad kicked him out for causing too much trouble at school.

Their plates were empty in front of them, and the cafeteria was filled with more students. Most barely gave them a glance, just assuming that they were new students. Those who took a closer look recognized who they looked like, but they just told themselves it was a coincidence. One certain werewolf stopped in his tracks at the sight of them, before running out of the room.

“So I guess we went to the same home.” Landon said, remembering what Hope told them about their past (or is it future?). Neither of the boys really grasped the concept, so they just accepted it without any further thought.

“Yeah, and we’re at a magic school. And I’m a werewolf!” Rafael looked down at his hands and body in awe.

“And I’m normal,” Landon sulked. He loved watching movies and TV shows, even read a few comics. He finds out vampires, werewolves, and witches exist, only to also find out that he is none of them? Great, another place where he doesn’t fit in.

Rafael saw his frown, and patted Landon’s back. “If you leave, then I’ll go with you.”

“Really?”

“Yup!”

Landon smiled. He thinks this is what having a real friend feels like, and he enjoys the feeling.

Someone took a seat in front of them, and they both looked at the newcomer with curiosity. He smiled big, showing his teeth, and he had big hair. 

“Don’t tell me the rumors are true. Is that Landon and Rafael?”

Landon only nodded, and Rafael asked, “Who are you?”

The teenager gave another bright smile. “My name’s MG. Lizzie told me to find you guys. I’m gonna text her and let her know you guys are here, okay?”

“That’s a cool name,” Landon commented. 

Rafael narrowed his eyes. “Tell them not to yell.”

MG wanted to ask, but he could tell it was a sensitive subject. “You got it, man.” He sent off the text before putting his phone on the table, face down.

“Is that an iron man sticker?” Landon pointed at the phone case.

“Yeah, you like superheroes?”

Landon’s eyes lit up.

* * *

“You turned them into _kids_?” 

“Can it. It’s not my fault a book from the middle ages wasn’t specific.”

“I can’t fight a kid! And it’ll be suspicious if something happens to Raf again after this.”

“Not my problem. Can’t you just, I don’t know, get better at fighting? You’ve been alpha for how long, and the newbie beats you in his first fight? Sounds to me that you don’t deserve the position.”

“Shut up! Whatever, we gotta get to class.”

Pause. A few quiet steps. “I have a better idea.”

The voices stopped. Not wanting to listen to something R-rated, Penelope walked away from the closed door, smirking at the new information.

* * *

“But Thor is a god! He’s super powerful, so he would win any fight!” Landon argued.

MG shook his head. “Nope, what about Thanos? Or anyone with the infinity gauntlet?”

Rafael spoke up, “What’s a gauntlet?” He was eating his second stack of pancakes. Not knowing anything about superheroes, he lost interest in the conversation and went to get more food. He munched away, listening to Landon and MG talk about the most powerful Marvel superhero. He chimed in at parts, but he didn’t know enough to contribute anything to the arguments.

Landon turned to him, the shy voice replaced with fast talking excitement. “Thanos is this super bad guy, who’s purple. He collected all these really cool stones- hmph!” His explanation got caught off when someone hugged him from behind. 

“Don’t run off again, okay?” Hope said, her voice muffled as she dug her face into Landon’s shoulder. She held both boys tightly, before letting go once she realized how emotional she was being.

Hope sat next Landon while Lizzie and Josie joined MG on the other side of the table. 

“So, how old are you munchkins?” Lizzie asked, stealing a piece of bacon off Rafael’s plate in front of her.

A brief pause went by, neither of the boys willing to talk. Rafael saw that Landon was retreating back to his shell, intimidated by the teenagers and looking down at his hands.

Rafael spoke for both of them. “I’m eleven. Landon’s ten.” Wanting to take the focus off Landon, he asked Lizzie, “Are you a vampire?”

“No, silly. Though, that _would_ make me hotter than I already am.” She thought about it, ignoring Hope’s eye roll. “I’m a witch.”

“So… you can do magic?” Landon asked hesitantly.

“Yes, mini hobbit.”

His face scrunched at the nickname. “I don’t like Lord of the Rings.”

“Now that’s a twist.” Lizzie looked at Hope, “Who knew your boyfriend wasn’t a complete nerd?”

Landon sputtered, the orange juice he was drinking spilling onto his shirt.

“He’s not-” Hope shook her head and sighed. She grabbed a few napkins and started dabbing Landon’s shirt, which probably didn’t help the poor boy’s blush. “That’s not important right now.”

“Hope’s right.” Josie spoke up. “We need to figure out the monster that did this.”

“Don’t you mean monsters?” A voice spoke behind them.

Josie closed her eyes and counted to ten. 

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Go away, Satan. We didn’t summon you.”

Penelope just gave an amused glance at her before looking at the boys. She gave a little wave. “Hi. I’m Penelope.”

“You’re really pretty.” Rafael spoke without thinking. He blushed when he realized what he said. “Um, I’m Rafael. This is Landon.”

Lizzie narrowed her eyes. MG snickered, but covered it as a cough when her glare turned to him.

Landon gave a shy smile, meeting Penelope’s eyes for a split second before looking down again. His breath quickened. She reminded him of the mean girls he used to stay with, the ones who would lock him in the closet and laugh as he panicked. 

He could actually feel a panic attack coming. It was all too much. He could hear the noise of banter between Josie and Penelope, but he couldn’t concentrate on the actual words.

Surprisingly, it was Lizzie who noticed. 

“Hey, Kirby.”

He looked up. The blonde witch gave a knowing smile. She reached out and took his pinky in hers.

“Repeat after me, okay?” 

Landon nodded, his head going up and down in jerky movements.

“Five, twelve, ninety-one, twenty-seven.”

His mind focused on the simple task as he repeated the numbers in between shaky breaths.

“Good job. Now, again. Ten, twenty-five, twenty, eighteen.”

He felt his head clear a little as he repeated the numbers, again. Lizzie repeated the process a few more times, until the boy no longer looked like crying.

When she stopped, she blinked when she realized everyone at the table was staring at her in awe. (Save for Josie, who has done the same thing for her sister numerous times.)

“Just something that my mom did when I was younger,” Lizzie said casually, acting as if it wasn’t a big deal. 

Their eyes reverted back to Landon, who had grabbed Hope’s hand unknowingly.

“Hey, you wanna see some magic?” Josie asked Landon. Her soft spot was always kids.

The boy nodded, feeling calmer than before.

She took his free hand slowly. “I’m a siphoning witch, meaning that I don’t have magic on my own. I use magic that’s in other things, or other people.” She held up her other hand, palm up, and muttered a spell under her breath. A small fire appeared in her hand, and she twirled her fingers, playing with it as if it was a baseball.

Penelope snorted. Hope had to hide a smile, reminded of Josie’s little stunt with setting her ex’s hair on fire.

Landon felt his breath even out, entranced by the flame that came out of nowhere. He looked at his hand that was holding Josie’s, and his interest piqued at the red glow coming off it. 

She let it burn for a few more seconds before it died out, and she took her hand away. Josie’s brows furrowed. “That’s weird.”

“What is?” Hope asked.

“It’s like there’s a layer of magic surrounding him. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like someone did a spell on him. And the magic feels familiar, somehow.” She turned to Rafael. “Can I hold your hand and see if it’s in you, too?”

Rafael nodded, not really knowing the meaning behind it. They held hands across the table, a brief red glow appearing. 

She nodded as she pulled her hand back. “It’s the same thing. I don’t know how I know this, but someone in the school did this to them.”

“That’s actually what I came here to talk about.” Penelope smiled, the usual look in her eyes that says she knows more than she should.

* * *

Jed was having a rough time. 

His ego took a huge blow, and he was trying to stay lowkey during classes. The other wolves were definitely talking about his embarrassing loss to Rafael, not that any of them had the balls to confront him directly. 

He just needed to be back in charge. Yes, he recognized how he’s become an asshole of a leader. That’s why he needs to redeem himself. 

After the election, Jed found himself pacing in Alyssa Chang’s dorm. She originally wanted someone there to listen to her complain about other witches, and then maybe have a quick hookup before curfew. What she didn’t expect was Jed to vent about his own problems.

He told her about losing his spot as alpha, to which she mocked him before offering a way for him to get it back.

“While your idea of beating up the supernatural wannabe will blow off some steam, it is monumentally stupid. Here, I stole one of the really old books from the library, and there’s a potion to make someone completely defenseless and vulnerable. I say you slip it into the new alpha’s drink during breakfast, then challenge him again.”

He, of course, knew that there was no way he could do that. All the wolves are loyal to the alpha, and if they suspected that Jed was up to something, Rafael would be the first to know. He had to affect Rafael while he was sleeping.

“Alright. Lucky for you, I smoke bombed the Saltzman twins last year after Lizzie told me my shoes were out of style.”

Alyssa made him a list of supplies to steal from certain classrooms, making him promise that he would make up for all the hard work she’d have to do (even though he was the one sneaking out past curfew). Lucky for them, her roommate, Penelope, never went back to her dorm that night. 

“She’s probably hooking up with Josie at the Old Mill. When they were dating, she almost never slept in our room.”

It was almost three in the morning when the smoke bomb was ready, to which Jed had to sneak into Rafael’s room. He assumed his roommate was Landon, which was honestly just icing on the cake. 

At the time, it seemed like a good plan. Too bad Jed didn’t realize how much it would backfire on him.

He sat in Dr. Saltzman’s office, waiting for the headmaster to come in. 

“Yawn. Why do they make us wait? I could be learning a really cool hair curling spell right now.” Alyssa smirked at him, no care in the world. Not one ounce of worry.

Jed gave her a look. “How are you so calm?”

“Oh, relax. They’re not gonna expel us, and let me tell you, it is extremely easy to guilt trip Dr. Saltzman out of giving me a punishment.” 

It was then that the door opened, and Dr. Saltzman, Josie, Lizzie, and Emma walked in. And he was holding a very familiar potions book.

Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe not that easy.”

* * *

“Will they get in trouble?” 

Hope turned to Landon. They were sitting on the bench outside of Dr. Saltzman’s office. 

The pack took Rafael in earlier, some of the girls squealing over him and insisting that they would take good care of him. Hope, while cautious and unwilling, saw that Rafael really wanted to get to know his pack. She sent MG and Penelope to look after him. Hope trusted MG to look after kid Rafael, and she knew that MG trusted Penelope, which worked for her. It was better that Alyssa didn’t know that her roommate snitched on her, anyway. She thought she saw a glimmer of mischief in Penelope’s eyes, but that wasn't Hope’s issue.

Hope hummed in thought at Landon’s question. “Probably.”

The young boy frowned. “But they didn’t hurt anyone.”

“They were planning to hurt Rafael. And Jed wanted to hurt you, too.” 

“But he didn’t!”

Hope tilted her head at his adamant defense. He shrunk a little when he realized he raised his voice, and he looked down and murmured an apology. She put a hand on his shoulder.

“Landon, it’s okay. Can I just ask why you don’t want Jed and Alyssa to get in trouble?”

He looked away, muttering a response under his breath.

“What?”

He looked up at her. “It would make the bullying worse.”

Hope felt her heart clench. “Landon.” She took his hand in hers, a passing thought of how his were now smaller, softer. A contrast between the hands she’s held before, the ones that boasted calluses. (Not from training or fighting. From playing the guitar. A detail that made her feel things she doesn’t want to think about.)

“One of my foster moms said to always tell the truth. But when I do, it makes things worse.”

_The knife._

If Landon had reservations on telling the truth at only ten years old, there’s no wonder he lied about the artifact when he was seventeen. The way he grew up told him that the truth leads to pain. 

Hope hugged him without a second thought. 

She spoke softly in his ear, “The truth is always the right thing, no matter how much it hurts.”

He nodded as he tightened his grip around her. 

They broke apart when a shout was heard from inside the office. 

“Sounds like Alyssa isn’t getting her way.” Hope chuckled. She stopped when she saw how tense the boy was. 

“Hey,” she grabbed his small hand, again. “Tell me about yourself.”

She blinked when he straightened up, and she heard his heart beat a little faster. 

Hope ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean that as an order, I’m sorry. Like I said before, you don’t need permission to speak.”

She pulled her hand away, repositioning herself on the bench to face him more. “How about… what’s your favorite color?”

He perked up, not hesitating. “Blue.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because the sky is blue. And your eyes are blue.”

Hope couldn’t stop her smile if she wanted to. “I like the color of your eyes, too.”

“I have my mom’s eyes. I think.” He pouted, his nose scrunching in thought. “I have one picture of her, but you can’t see her eyes.” His head drooped, and he kicked his feet in the air, his legs not long enough to reach the floor. “I really wanna meet her.”

Hope’s smile slid off her face. The guilt came back, her mind going to the vote she’ll have to make when this is all over.

“I promise you, you will.”

They continued talking until the door opened a little later, a brooding Jed and a pissed Alyssa going to class. Hope stood up, looking at Dr. Saltzman, Emma, and the twins expectantly. 

“The spell lasts twenty-four hours. They should be back to normal by morning, and I’m not sure if they will keep their memories of today’s events,” Emma explained.

Right after she said that, Penelope, MG, and Rafael came around the corner.

Lizzie gasped at the large bruise covering Rafael’s face. “MG, you said you would protect him.”

Penelope rolled her eyes. “Relax, he’s fine. The pup’s got spunk.” She tapped his shoulder. “Right, kid?”

Rafael grinned, his left eye disappearing under the swelling. “We had fun!” 

His eye twitched before he yawned, making Landon yawn, as well. Everyone looked at the boys fondly, unused to seeing either of them be vulnerable. 

“Maybe the kids need to go to bed. It’s been a long day for them.” Dr. Saltzman chuckled. 

* * *

When it was time for dinner, Hope poked her head in their room. She decided against waking them up, instead, opting to take a picture of them.

They fell asleep in their own beds, but at some point Landon must have crawled into Rafael’s bed. The werewolf had his arm around Landon protectively, both of them sleeping peacefully. 

Hope turned the lights off, only to hear a small whimper come from the blankets. She debated leaving them on, but an idea came to her. 

Whispering softly to not wake them, she enchanted the ceiling to look like the night sky, similar to Landon’s first night at the school. The moon shone bright enough to be a magical night light, and she smiled at the scene in front of her. 

They deserved this.

* * *

The next day. Landon stood in the bus stop across from Hope.

He shifted, grunting when some pain flashed in his leg. Jed didn’t take too well to his punishment, so he followed through on his original plan and jumped Landon once the spell wore off. 

His heart grew heavy at Hope’s admission of voting him out of the school. It lifted a little when she admitted she cared about him, but he still had nowhere to go. 

And then Hope gave him a chance to find his family. His real, biological family.

“I couldn’t get you the answers that you wanted. But my friend can,” she said, giving him a bag to take with him.

Landon bit his lip, his mind still processing. “I’ve wanted this for so long. How did you know?”

She gave him a tight-lipped smile, a knowing look in her eyes. “Let’s just say your kid self opened my eyes a little bit.”

“Oh, no.” He groaned, leaning his head back. “Please don’t tell me I said anything embarrassing.”

“You did say that you like the color blue because it’s the color of my eyes.”

He chuckled at himself, his heart no longer heavy when Hope laughed with him.

(Because of course, even as a kid, he would fall head over heels for Hope Mikaelson.)

After a couple moments, they both sobered up. 

He gave her a meaningful look. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Of course. Oh, before I forget.” She took a bracelet out of her pocket, wrapping it around his wrist. “Here.”

“What is this?”

“Think of it like a ‘click your heels together three times’ kind of thing. If you ever need me just press it, and my bracelet will lead me to you.”

Landon looked at her, no words needed to convey his gratitude. 

Hope looked back into his green eyes, reminded of everything she learned from his younger self. She’s already forgiven him for lying about the knife. She found it hard to stay mad at him, especially after recent events.  
  


Landon Kirby grew up without a family. He had no one he could truly count on. He protected his bullies, he lied because he saw no other way. Life repeatedly broke him down, never letting him feel comfortable, never allowing him to call a place his home. 

Yet, despite all of that. Despite his crappy upbringing. 

He was _good_. His bright smile showed none of the malice he should feel toward the world. 

_You are a really nice person, Hope Mikaelson_.

Bright headlights appeared in her vision, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“I should go.” 

He just smiled. “Okay.”

“Bye, Landon.” She took a deep breath before walking away. 

She made it a few steps when her bracelet went off, pointing behind her. She turned around with a smile, seeing Landon with a big grin on his face. 

“I wanted to see if it worked.”

She chuckled. 

Simultaneously, both of them rushed toward each other, meeting in the middle as their lips connected. The blinding lights of the bus contrasted to the sweet comfort of the kiss.

After everything she’s been through, Hope feared that she would never live a normal life.

As she stood there, just a girl kissing a guy she likes, she lets herself believe that it could happen.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The show really glosses over the (human) backstory of Landon and Rafael. I originally started this with the intent to focus on both Landon and Rafael, but I just kept gravitating to Frodo Baggins. I do love Rafael, and maybe I'll write something in the future to do him justice.
> 
> (In my opinion, I liked Landon more before he was revealed to be a Phoenix)
> 
> Landon is a walking ball of anxiety, and I can only imagine how introverted and insecure he was as a child with no real home. 
> 
> The repeating numbers thing is something that helps someone I know. It gives them something to focus their attention on, instead of their mind being overwhelmed with everything. 
> 
> In regards of the numbers I used: 
> 
> “Five, twelve, ninety-one, twenty-seven.” Landon first appeared in season 5, episode 12, the 91st episode of the Originals. He's made an appearance in 27 total episodes at the time of writing this (5/20/2020).
> 
> "Ten, twenty-five, twenty, eighteen.” The first episode of legacies aired 10/25/2018.
> 
> Also, just imagine Penelope and Alyssa Chang as roommates. The pure snark that would radiate from that room.
> 
> So, what do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Feedback is appreciated :)


End file.
